Pangaia’s New Collaboration Supports Indigenous Communities in the Amazon
Pangaia is more than just a trendy sweatsuit brand (good luck trying to secure one of its cozy sets to WFH in—they sell out in seconds). Part of the reason they’re so hard to get is because the direct-to-consumer brand also focuses on sustainability by practicing eco-friendly production methods, such as recycling materials and using environmentally-friendly dyes, and limiting quantities overall. And now, a new collaboration the brand is unveiling this week is aiming to do even more good—by offering support to Indigenous communities in the Amazon rainforest, many of whom have been impacted by COVID-19 as cases continue to multiply.
On Thursday, Pangaia will release a new set of hoodies and T-shirts made in collaboration with Costa Brazil, the sustainable beauty brand founded by Francisco Costa, the former womenswear designer for Calvin Klein. The new collection directly benefits Amazon Forever, a new campaign from Conservation International and BrazilFoundation that is currently focused on bringing aid to rural areas of the Amazon and, specifically, the Indigenous communities that have been impacted by the coronavirus. A full 100% of the Pangaia x Costa Brazil proceeds will go toward this Amazon Forever effort, which helps deliver PPE and medical supplies to the various villages, as well as help relocate more doctors to the region.
As two sustainable brands, both Costa Brazil and Pangaia were drawn to working with each other because of their shared commitment to being both environmentally- and socially-conscious. “We saw this collaboration as a meeting of the minds—two companies that are passionate about the restoration and protection of nature, and our vision for a more responsible future in both our respective fields,” says Jasmine Mullers, Pangaia’s vice president and chief partnerships officer. As a native Brazilian, Costa says the need to help Indigenous people in the Amazon—which spans eight countries, including Brazil—also struck a personal chord for him. “This was such an immediate need,” Costa says. “Not just the areas surrounding Manaus [the capital of Amazonas, the Brazilian portion of the Amazon] have been affected—we noticed that tribes very far away from the area have also been dealing with COVID. By losing the local communities and the Indigenous people, you're basically affecting everything else. They hold the key to protecting the Amazon.”
This special collaboration falls in line with Pangaia’s sustainable focus: The Pangaia x Costa Brazil hoodies, which retail for $150, are made of recycled cotton, while the tees, which go for $55, are made with organic cotton. They will be both available in off-white and a stone gray colorway. They also both feature logo’d artwork, a Pangaia signature, by the artist Nick Theobald on the backs. “While reflecting on the collaboration, the repetition of the phrase ‘Amazonia Forever’ became a seed of optimism,” Theobald says of his graphic design. Now’s the time to set your alarm clocks if you hope to score a piece—not only do they look good, but they also support a good cause, meaning they'll go especially quick.
